The Oscar Wilde Monument
Colorful gemstone statue of a writer reclining on a giant quartz boulder, one half of his carved face smiling, the other grim.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Oscar Wilde Monument in Merrion Square, Dublin opens with a 2007 attempt to steal the bronze statue of Wilde's wife off her pillar, before turning to the real centerpiece nearby: Wilde himself, carved reclining across a 35-tonne quartz boulder by sculptor Danny Osborne, dressed in stone jade, granite and thulite paid for by the Guinness family. You'll hear how Osborne split Wilde's face in two as you walk around it, one side amused, the other worn down by his years in prison. Nearby stands a second pillar topped with a bronze torso of Dionysus, god of wine and drama.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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